Contents

Mission

Increase accessibility of geospatial education and opportunities for solutions.

Introduction

The motto of ICA-OSGeo Labs initiative is "Geo For All." By combining the potential of e-learning tools and open source geospatial software, the academic community can strengthen education in GIScience. This will help students better appreciate the 'benefits of' and *their* 'responsibility for' open source, open standards and open data in geospatial technology.

Widespread application of e-learning tools and open source GIS will increase access to GIS education. Free and open GI software helps make geospatial education available to students from economically poor backgrounds worldwide (removing the need for high cost proprietary GI software). Our key aim is to make it possible for students in developing and poor countries to also be able to receive highest quality geospatial education and have the tools to build their own solutions! One area that needs attention is "Train the Trainer" GIS programs for school teachers all over the world. Can you help?

It is very important we have open source GIS and standards-based solutions (OGC, ISO TC 211) to achieve widespread application of geotools at the grassroots level, especially in developing countries. Open source GIS increases accessibility, low cost solutions and also lowers entry barriers for use of geospatial technologies by all.